


wish you were here

by godofmorons



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cysithea Ending Spoilers, Cysithea Week 2020, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Letters, Light Angst, Travelogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-19 09:09:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22875223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godofmorons/pseuds/godofmorons
Summary: Letters to Lysithea, for Cysithea Week Day 1
Relationships: Cyril/Lysithea von Ordelia, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	wish you were here

**Author's Note:**

> [♫](https://youtu.be/QM4vTjt7KrA)   
>  _As many times as I blink_   
>  _I'll think of you tonight_
> 
> background mentions of cathmir, doropetra, and mariclaude.

Dear Lysithea,

I arrived in Derdriu today. The trip didn’t take long at all, thanks to both Spike and the weather. I don’t know why they call these things “road trips” when I’m not even traveling by road.

It’s nice to visit the city during peacetime. It’s kind of boring during the day though, because everyone is either working in the factories or on the docks. I can see where it got the name the Aquatic Capital, because you have to cross bridges to get anywhere. It’s a lot of walking.

At night, the city lights up, and the lights are reflected on the water. It’s really pretty. It feels like there are food stalls on every corner here, and everything smells amazing. I know we had fried pheasant at the monastery, but it’s way better when you eat it in Derdriu.

There was this one dessert called a crêpe that’s like a thin pancake with strawberries and cream wrapped inside it. I think you would have loved it.

Wish you were here.

Love,  
Cyril

-

Dear Lysithea,

I flew straight from Derdriu to Fhirdiad, and arrived earlier today. The difference between the two cities is like night and day. Derdriu is open, whereas Fhirdiad is closed. I don’t know if that makes sense on paper, but it’s the only way I can think of to describe it.

It’s chilly here even in the spring. I can only imagine how much colder it must be in the winter. 

There are a lot of workshops in the city, and the people are willing to let you watch them work if you ask. I’ve never seen someone blow glass before, and it was mesmerizing.

There’s also a school of sorcery in the city. I tried to visit their library, but it’s for students and faculty only. I wonder if you would have liked it here, or if you would have butt heads with the professors. Probably a little of both.

Wish you were here.

Love,  
Cyril

-

Dear Lysithea,

I think I spoke too soon when I mentioned how chilly Fhirdiad is in the spring. Albinea is much, much worse. Even though it’s almost summer, there’s still snow on the ground here.

Despite starting my flight from the empire, I had to fly over a large expanse of water. It was a little nerve-wracking, trusting that Spike and I were going the right way and not flying out into the middle of the ocean. I probably won’t visit Dagda on this trip for that reason. Maybe Shamir, Catherine, and I can go there together someday. I think that would be nice.

The people in Albinea are very friendly. I don’t think they get many visitors. I didn’t realize how many different ways there are to cook fish until I had a meal here. I think Seteth and Flayn would like it. Maybe the next time I’m at Garreg Mach, I’ll mention it to them. Goddess knows Seteth needs a vacation.

Wish you were here.

Love,  
Cyril

-

Dear Lysithea,

I knew Enbarr was huge, but I didn’t fully realize just _how_ huge until I flew over it. You can really feel how old the city is. The outer edges are all newer buildings, but the further in you go, the older the buildings become.

There are all these public gardens throughout the city, with terraces and fountains inside them. There were a lot of couples and families walking around. It was hard being around them all, so I left.

The church is beautiful. I wound up spending a lot of time there. I wasn’t even praying, not really. I just needed somewhere to be by myself for a little while.

I miss you.

Love,  
Cyril

-

Dear Lysithea,

Brigid is doing well. Petra is a well-loved queen, and it’s been nice to see her and Dorothea again. They’ve opened up new trade routes with Fódlan and Almyra, and are even looking to extend negotiations to Dagda as well.

That’s all boring political stuff though. Brigid itself is a really pretty place. I can see why Petra was so homesick for it. The people here are a bit suspicious of outsiders, but I don’t really blame them. It’s clear as day how much they adore Petra, so that’s good enough for me.

I can tell Dorothea and Petra are worried about me. I’ve told them I’m fine, but I don’t think they believe me. To be honest, I’m not sure if I believe me either.

Wish you were here.

Love,  
Cyril

-

Dear Lysithea,

I thought I was prepared for the journey to Morfis, but I still struggled to reach the city. Lucky for me I found a trader willing to help me out, otherwise I would have been in some real hot water. 

The stories about Morfis don’t do it any justice. They use magic for everything here. The buildings almost seem to stretch up and touch the sky, they’re built so high.

Just about everyone here specializes in illusions, so there’s all kinds of impossible decorations every which way you turn. They look and seem real until you reach out to touch them. There’s also these light shows they put on at night that recreate stories right before your eyes. They use music and illusions and fireworks to make words come to life. It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a really long time.

“Fairy floss” is their name here for spun sugar on a stick. I know you would have loved it.

Wish you were here.

Love,  
Cyril

-

Dear Lysithea,

Coming home to Almyra after all these years feels strange. The sky feels bigger somehow. I think you were right about it being easier to visit as an adult, because now I can come and go on my own terms.

Marianne and Claude are doing well. Claude really took what I told him about my childhood to heart. He showed me his plans to create an organization that finds homes for orphans, so that no one else will ever have to go through what I experienced ever again. I didn’t know what to say, but I think he understood how much that meant to me.

He also mentioned that he wants to build a school of sorcery here in the capital and dedicate it to you. I told him you would probably hate that. He laughed and said that’s why he’s doing it in the first place. You can’t say I didn’t try to warn him.

All three of us stayed up late last night talking about you. How you regularly had your nose in a book, how much you loved sweets, how you were always pushing yourself too hard. It was nice.

Wish you were here.

Love,  
Cyril

* * *

Cyril walks out onto the balcony, breathing in the crisp night air. He looks up at the too big night sky-- at the thousands of stars winking down at him.

When he was younger, this same sky used to make him feel small. Now, he reaches out his hand up towards the stars, smiling to himself.

It’s been about three months since he started this journey. Three months of saddle sores and freezing cold and hot desert sand. He’s seen so many things, met so many people, tried so many foods... 

He breathes out.

This last letter is going to be the hardest one to write.

He stares up at the stars for a second longer, before stepping back inside.

* * *

Dear Lysithea,

Some things are hard to say and easy to write.

There’s a lot of things I don’t know. The unknown is scary, but I think that’s why I decided to take this trip. Being satisfied with what you already know was never enough for you. You sought to broaden your world everyday by discovering and learning new things. I always admired that about you.

So there’s a lot of things I don’t know. But, there’s a lot of things I do know.

I know how to survive a desert. I know how to ride a wyvern over the ocean. I know how to walk through a city without getting pick pocketed. I know how to tell an illusion from reality. I know where I want to go next. I know what it means to live for myself. I know I would have liked to have married you someday.

I know I’ll be bappy again. It’s just going to take a little time, that’s all.

Not a day goes by where I don’t wish you were here.

Love, always,  
Cyril

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry ( •́ω•̩̥̀ )


End file.
